


Seen from afar

by alycat



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 02:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10295885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alycat/pseuds/alycat
Summary: Steve froze in place and stared up at the guy outside. There was no way that Steve had expected his model to be the guy he had been eyeing for months





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you [velvetjinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx) for the beta work

Steve was never listening to Natasha again.

He couldn't believe he had let Natasha talk him into getting some random guy modeling for him. In fact, he wasn't even sure how she had managed to find someone. It wasn't that Steve didn't need some practice in drawing the male form, but he was worried that an evening spent sketching a total stranger would be awkward to say the least. 

Before he could think about it much more, someone knocked on the door and Steve took a few deep breaths before standing up and crossing the floor to see who was on the other side. When he opened the door, Steve froze in place and stared up at the guy outside. There was no way that Steve had expected his model to be the guy he had been eyeing for months. The guy that was featured on page after page in Steve's sketch books. 

He was going to kill Natasha. 

"Hi," Steve said, trying to come up with something clever to say. Or at least something more than one word.

"Hey," the guy said. "I'm Bucky - your friend Natasha said I should come here and that you wanted to draw me. Or you know, draw someone, that's apparently me, I guess. Do you?"

The stream of words made Steve raise an eyebrow and while he still thought the evening might become uncomfortable, some of the worry faded away. 

"Yeah", he said, finding himself grinning. "I'm Steve, and I really need to practice to draw men. Nat is a good model but not very manly. Obviously. Seeing how she's a girl."

Apparently the rambling was contagious and Steve fought the urge to facepalm at his own stupidity. 

"That would be an issue," Bucky agreed. "Can I come inside?"

Steve realized he was standing in the middle of the door, and quickly took a step to the side, letting Bucky inside his small dorm room. He could see Bucky look around, taking in the room with the little desk by the window crowded by sketchbooks and pencils and books about art. The walls were covered by Steve's own drawings and he was grateful that he had never put up any of the sketches he had done of Bucky.

"You're good," Bucky said, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smile. "I was slightly worried I'd end up modeling for stick figures. This is a lot better. How do you want me?"

 

Turning his back towards Bucky, Steve took his time closing, and locking, the door. He really hoped that his feelings weren't written all over his face, his mind spinning with all the ways he wanted Bucky. 

"Just, sit on the bed?" Steve said, wishing it didn't sound as much as a question. "The light is best there. If it's okay with you I'll start with a few sketches of your face?"

 

Bucky looked a bit surprised but he nodded, shrugging out of his worn leather jacket before sitting down on Steve's bed and leaning against the wall. He smiled at Steve, a smile that made Steve reach for his pencils and grabbing his favorite before thinking twice. It was one thing drawing Bucky when the man didn't know, but for once he could look at Bucky as much as he wanted, taking all the time he needed. 

"How come your friend had to find you a model?" Bucky asked as Steve sat down on his desk chair, pulling one leg up to rest against the seat. "It can't be that hard to get people to model?"

"You'd be surprised," Steve said with a shrug, slowly starting with the outlines of Bucky's face. "If it had been Nat doing the drawing, I think there'd be guys lining up the block. But me? Not so much. Not many guys are interested in modeling for a skinny guy that they probably never noticed before. And Nat is the only one of my friends that can sit still for more than two minutes."

For a moment, it looked like Bucky was about to say something, his lips parted but he closed them again without saying a word. Steve ignored it and instead focused on sketching the curve of Bucky's lips, the slight upturn at the corner of his mouth and the sharp cut of his jaw. 

"How long will you need me to sit still?" Bucky asked after a few silent minutes. 

"You can move soon, I wanna try a different angle," Steve said, changing to a new page in his sketchbook. 

Bucky shifted, moving until he could watch the sketches that Steve had pinned up around his bed, most of them drawings of Natasha or different buildings around the campus. Steve was sure that Bucky was in at least one or two of the drawings, but it wouldn't be obvious that it was him.

There was something special about drawing Bucky while Bucky was so carefully inspecting Steve's previous work. 

"You're really talented," Bucky said, nodding towards one of the sketches. "That's the Hammond building, right?"

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "I've always liked the design of it, and the way the trees grow around it."

"Have you been down at the river, below the the Maximoff center? There's some amazing views to be found there."

"Never been," Steve mumbled, tapping the end of his pencil against his sketchbook while he considered his drawing. 

"I can take you."

That was enough to wipe away any thoughts of art and drawing from Steve's mind and he didn't care that the pencil fell out of his grip and rolled across the floor. 

"What?"

"Well, I mean," Bucky said, turning to face Steve instead of looking at the drawings. "I go down there sometimes, it's more silent than most of the campus. I like it. Also, I have noticed you before."

Bucky leaned down to pick up the pencil, handing it back to Steve who accepted without really thinking about it, putting that and the sketchbook down on the desk. 

"You notice me?"

"How could I not?" Bucky asked, with a soft smile. "I think that was why Natasha asked me to model for you. Not like I was likely to say no."

Steve blinked, looking from Bucky, then back down to the sketchbook beside him before he met Bucky's gaze again. 

"What? And here I thought she only asked you to embarrass me and maybe make me reveal my big cru- oh fuck…"

Bucky raised an eyebrow and the small grin grew into a wide smirk. Steve groaned and closed his eyes, quite proud of himself that he didn't do an actual facepalm but still wishing the ground could open up for just a moment. 

"I did not mean to say that," he said without opening his eyes again.

"Well, I don't doubt she did it to embarrass us both," Bucky said and Steve could hear him move. "But really, Stevie, I'm trying to ask you out here, it would be nice if you could look at me. And maybe say yes, considering I'm pretty damn sure that you were about to say that you have a crush on me."

Steve opened one eye, only to jump slightly and both eyes flew wide open when he realized that Bucky had scooted to the end of the bed and sat right in front of Steve, leaning forward and his face much closer than Steve had expected.

"Maybe I was about to say that," Steve admitted hesitantly, forcing himself to not lean forward even though it was very tempting to close the distance between them. 

"Then go out with me. I can model for you by the water and we can get to know each other. Because I always noticed you, you're the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen."

Steve had no idea how his life and taken that turn of even where he found himself leaning forward to chastely press his lips to Bucky's in lieu of an answer, but he was pretty damn sure he would be owing Nat a bottle of wine or two for setting it all up. 

"See, from now on you can draw me without having to semi-stalk me," Bucky said when Steve pulled back, his lips still tingling from the brief touch. 

Before Steve had any chance to respond, Bucky's hand came up to press warmly against Steve's neck and pull him back into a kiss. 

They could discuss the semi-stalking later.

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever Stucky fic, thank you for reading. You can find me on [Tumblr](http://ladyalycat.tumblr.com/) but [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lady_alycat) is usually the better way to contact me.


End file.
